Virgo Sun Pisces Moon

Where do you want our kids to go to school?

(LOL) This is a FUN hypothetical question… I think that, since you can afford it… private school is good for them. I think that… when they are still little, they stay with us. They’re not little boarders — my heart wouldn’t be able to take it. I don’t know how, in some schools, there are even boarders from the age of 7 — I can’t do it. And the schools around here don’t have that option.

No, I don’t need them to go to a hippie school where they run around in the forest barefoot. No, I don’t want to home-school them. (Are you kidding me?! Like I have the PATIENCE?!?!?!) — private school is good. Because — the waiting lists across private schools all across the Gold Coast are already, super, super, super long. You’d be surprised at how, even some schools, you just wouldn’t think it’d be that hard. Trust me, I have Millennial Mum friends. It’s been HARD. And it’s actually easier, to simply let the lineage continue on. The lineages have priorities now, ironically. I don’t know what is going on in Australia. But because I went to the All Girls’ School that I went to — our kids will be fine. They will be immediately enrolled in. Any time. Boys or girls — they have a partnership with the boys’ school, too.

And I don’t want them to be “Elitist” — I really, really, don’t want that. I want them to get a good quality education, and the private schools provide that — but we HAVE TO include them in other extra-curriculars, that are not about these schools. We have to show them the parts of the world that these schools might not care to show them. We have to let them know, there’s more — there’s more and there’s so much more to be humble about. There’s more.

But — okay. I think — Middle School, still keep them home… by High School… Years 10, 11, 12… they can experience being a Weekly Boarder.

Weekly Boarder?

Yes. It means, they stay at the school, Mondays to Fridays, and we pick them up Friday afternoons. We spend the weekends with them. Let them focus on studying, Mondays to Fridays. And then we drop them off again, by Sunday evenings. It’s not that bad. They get to learn some structure with work and play that way.

I wouldn’t wish my kids to experience full time boarding. Unless we absolutely had to, and I can’t imagine what scenario.

Were you a Full Time Boarder?

For some months of the year. When both parents were in Taiwan, yes.

I never experienced Weekly Boarding. And it seemed those were the most well-rounded kids. And did well. The ones who never left their parents — they were a bit spoilt. There some many who seemed that they didn’t care about grades that much. They didn’t seem to… have to? I don’t know. I’m just making assumptions.

Full Time Boarders — there is a shared sense of loneliness. We can’t shake off that… experience. As teenagers when our parents had to leave us there.

Weekly Boarders — they got the best of both worlds! Yes, it can be fun, to be a teenager, it’s like a weekly sleepover with your friends, to be a weekly boarder. And then, you still get your parents back, on the weekends.

Did Full Time Boarders all have good grades?

No. But there was mandatory “homework time” — if you’re not doing your homework, you’re just sitting there, bored out of your mind that you might as well do some homework. So generally, their grades were alright. It’s still possible to just stare out into space and not give a fuck. But after sitting there for a while, especially because we’re girls? I’m not sure — just eventually open up the textbooks and do your homework.

What was it like during homework time?

It’s very quiet. Like a library. We’re allowed headphones (with CD players). Quietly listening to our own music while we do our homework. We were allowed that.

And the House Mistresses walk around… observing… making sure, that nobody is talking to each other. It’s not the time. It’s not the place, yet.

Once, I had a friend, she missed me. She tried to come talk to me — The House Mistresses got very angry. “It’s homework time. You’re taking away HER homework time. She deserves good grades! Doesn’t matter if you don’t care about yours. You have to respect HER homework time to get her grades.”

And did you get good grades? Studying alone all the time?

(LOL) Yes! Of course! Nobody was allowed to distract me from my goals.

…

What music did you listen to during Homework time?

Eminem.

LOL. What?! A teenaged girl, at an all girls school, listening to EMINEM?!?!? during HOMEWORK TIME?!?!?!?!

(LOLOLOLOL) Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Pink… Blink 182… LOLOLOLOLOLOL….